Our recent Running Wild photo expedition brought us to the edge of the world to Iceland, a country known for its intense landscapes and incredible culture. We started our journey in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland. Here we enjoyed local foods, enjoyed drinks, walked the colorful streets, and visited a few local museums to learn more about the cultural history of Iceland and the Vikings. That night, we calculated that there would be a great chance to see the northern lights, so we drove an hour out of town to an area with few clouds and we were treated to an incredible show.
The following day we traveled to Þingvellir National Park to take a cold swim in the Silfra Fissure. This fissure was formed between the Eurasian Tectonic Plate and the North American Techtonic Plate as Iceland sits right on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where both plates pull away from one another, creating more land as time goes by. After our snorkel, we traveled around the park to enjoy the incredible waterfalls and geysers nearby.
Our next major destination was a town called Vik, a small beach town on the southern edge of Iceland which boasted dramatic landscapes, black sand beaches, and intense rock formations. We also got a chance to explore Sólheimajökull - a large glacier associated with the mighty icecap of Mýrdalsjökull, the largest in Europe. After a few days here, we worked our way north to the town of Grundarfjörður to see the famous Kirkjufell mountain and falls. We were treated to more northern lights as well as more rugged mountainous landscapes to explore. Our last major stop was to visit the charming fishing town of Husavik in the Northern part of Iceland. Here we watched the northern lights dance above us as we explored the bay and the Iceland Sea. We also explored Mývatn, hiked the Hverfjall volcano, and spent the evening in the Mývatn Nature Baths. On our way back to Reykjavik, we observed a G1 solar storm and had a chance to see the northern lights like never before. The colors were absolutely intense and rained down on us as we ran around snapping photos of the sky and landscapes that surrounded us.
All in all, we had an unforgettable trip through Iceland, but what truly made it special were the people who made the journey with us.
To create the photos we did on this expedition, we sometimes had to go to great lengths to get to each location. In some places we snorkeled, in some places, we rode snowmobiles, and in others, we had to hike far distances. Luckily, several locations had roads that went right up to iconic landmarks. As a group, we all had a blast exploring Iceland together and as with all of our expeditions, our guides helped our travelers with developing their photography skills.
Running Wild Expeditions is a unique travel opportunity for fellow travelers to see the world as we do on our various photo and storytelling assignments. Each trip is full of incredible experiences, adventure, photo lessons, conservation opportunities, and loads of learning. Click here to learn more about our future trips.